


Learning Respect

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24642406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: A football jock wants a grade he hasn't earned
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Learning Respect

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sentinel Thursday prompt 'grind'

Learning Respect

by Bluewolf

"You bet I have an axe to grind with that bastard Sandburg!" Todd Yarrow growled.

His two closest friends at Rainier urged him to continue speaking - not that he actually needed any encouragement. "Anthropology should have been an easy A - memorize what the book says about primitive tribes living in the back of beyond, parrot it back when the lecturer asks about the Wa-hoo tribe of Eastern Ding-dong land, and there you are! That's all Harry Ewing ever expected, last year. But Sandburg wants you to compare what they do to what we do, to the way we live - as if it matters what the Wa-hoo tribe does! But Sandburg gave me an E for the paper yesterday, had the nerve to tell me that I couldn't guarantee years of a football career! That one day I'd have to look for something else. Why? When the talent scouts come looking one of them is bound to pick me!"

His friends glanced at each other. "Todd, what happens if you're seriously injured?" Eric Norman asked. "Look at Earl Gaines. He was good - but he injured a knee. It didn't hamper him in his everyday life - but it wouldn't stand up to the demands of a full game."

"He just didn't work hard enough at getting fit again!" Todd growled.

Eric and Dwight Young glanced at each other again. There was no arguing with Todd when he was in this kind of mood. And they could both see the 'revenge' gleam in Todd's eyes.

Well, all they could do, even if it cost them Todd's friendship - and they were both beginning to think that Todd was not a good friend to have - was watch and try to intervene if it became necessary.

***

Events moved faster than either Eric or Dwight could have anticipated.

Without waiting for the others, Todd headed off towards the sports field - and met Blair halfway between the building and the parking lot.

Todd deliberately blocked Blair's way. "I want at least a B for that paper!" he growled.

Blair looked at him. "I told you yesterday - you have a week to redo it, interpreting what you read. As it stands, it got the mark it deserved."

Todd growled again and lunged for Blair, arms outstretched.

Behind him, Eric and Dwight knew they were too far away to stop him. And then they watched open-mouthed as Blair calmly caught one of Todd's arms and twisted slightly, using Todd's own momentum to throw the much bigger man across his body to land with a thump on the ground.

Todd lay for a moment, then pushed himself upright, lunging again at Blair, who once again caught one of Todd's arms and apparently effortlessly tossed Todd back onto the ground again, then looked down at the winded student.

"Even if you waited till my back was turned and attacked me from behind, you'd still end up on the ground," Blair said quietly. "I'm a brown belt in two martial arts, and a black belt in a third one. Another year and I'll have three black belts. I've also studied a couple of modern martial arts where all that counts is taking down your opponent - I'm not so interested in them, though, because their main aim is to kill, and the police don't like that. I really wouldn't like my police friends to be put into the position of having to arrest me."

By then, Todd had pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Seriously, Todd," Blair went on, "no matter how good you are as a football player, even if a talent scout picks you out - you can't assume you'll be able to play for ever. An injury - it could permanently disable you in your first year, before you have a chance to earn - and hopefully save - a reasonable amount of money. It makes sense to have a fall-back career just in case. That's why guys like you, on a sports scholarship, are expected to take some academic subjects too. To give themselves a back-up career.

"I'm prepared to ignore this attack - if you show you're willing to work at getting acceptable marks based on the work I give you."

"He's right, Todd." Eric and Dwight had come up behind Blair as he spoke, and now Eric cut in. "It's what we tried to tell you, what - an hour ago?"

Todd looked up, a measure of respect in his eyes. "I never thought anyone could mix sport with an academic life. I always thought academics were soft, too lazy to be interested in... in... "

"Anything involving physical activity?" Blair suggested. "On weekends, my best friend - who, incidentally, is a cop - and I often go camping, hiking - and we think anything less than eighteen miles is a lazy day. He goes to the gym three or four evenings a week; I practise martial arts.

"Now - as I told you, you have a week to produce an acceptable paper that's worth at least a B. If you need help, that's what my office hours are for."

He nodded to the three, then carried on towards the main door and disappeared through it.

"Gonna take him up on that?" Dwight asked.

Todd remained silent for a few moments, then nodded. He scrambled to his feet, and the three carried on towards the sports field.


End file.
